As You Wish
by khaleesimaka
Summary: Butler AU. Never in her wildest dreams did she think her butler would end up being her boyfriend, yet there they were. Soul, the man who was only meant to be hired help around the house, helped her with so much more. From being her friend to her boyfriend to the center of her sexual desires. He had seeped into her life slow and steady.
1. Come Together

**Chapter 1: Come Together**

**I have been planning this AU since October of last year, and it is finally happening! I am so excited for everyone to read this, and I seriously hope y'all enjoy this little story. A special thank you to my betas lucidrush, lucyrne, and earth-shines who helped make this story so much better. A very special thank you to eisschirmchen who brought this AU to me and listen to be blarg about it this entire time. She also made the cover for this AU along with a few art pieces which can be found on her tumblr! Comments/reviews will be greatly appreciated! Thank you!**

* * *

The devilish smirk she had grown to love flashed her way, sending a chill down her spine. His body pressed against hers, her heart beat faster as heat radiated off him, and her steps were quieted as he trapped her into a corner of the hallway. Her eyes remained trained on his, which allowed her to notice the hunger and desire that burned behind his gaze. He reminded her of a predator as it prepared itself to pounce on its prey and devour it whole, its teeth ripping through skin and bone to fulfill its want. Licking her lips in anticipation, she wrapped her hands around the collar of his jacket and pulled him closer to her.

He should have frightened her, but he didn't. Maka loved every second of it.

Dark, lecherous ember eyes stared down at her. Sharp teeth scraped along her neck. Lips found their way to hers. Fingers twined their way into soft white hair. Moans and gasps breathed against her skin. Pants filled the air. Hands gripped her waist as he pulled her closer to him. His erection pressed against her stomach. A low, throaty growl erupted from him. Her core clenched.

It was dangerous for them to be doing this.

There was the possibility of someone walking down the hallway and catching them in the middle of their sinful act at any moment - Blair, her Papa, any of the other staff. Yet, that had always been the thrill behind it; being caught was the one thing that drove her to be so teasing with the poor man. Everything she did was to torture him - from the skirts that made his mind race to the lightest of touches as she passed him in the halls. It was all pure, blissful, sweet torture. And it was all worth it if the end result was a little rendezvous session when he was supposed to be working.

Never in her life did Maka think she would fall in love with Soul the butler, but she didn't regret it either.

* * *

If anyone asked her what she thought of the situation, she'd tell them she hated it - despised it actually - but no one did. Not her friends when she complained about it in their group Skype chat. Not her Papa when she expressed as much when he told her his brilliant plan during dinner. Even the maid had ignored her fuming in the kitchen while she cleaned up after their meal. No one gave a fuck what Maka thought of the preposterous idea, and it irked her to no end. Wasn't she a part of the Albarn family household? Didn't her opinion matter?

Apparently not, because there she sat in the small parlor room, the sun shining in through the window behind her as she tapped her foot on the leg of the table and waited for the first interviewee. The search in finding a new butler - because to hell with hiring another maid for her father to oogle - was going to begin. Because that was exactly what they needed, more help around the house. It wasn't like they had enough people already. Why the hell did they need another one just because she had moved back home? It was pointless and idiotic and-

"Maka," Blair purred from the doorway, "the first candidate for the job is here."

Sighing, she unfolded her arms and allowed them to fall to her lap as she gave the maid a small scowl. "Send them in," she said dully.

Blair quirked a brow as she cooed, "Remember to smile and be polite. Don't want any potential employees to get the wrong impression of you so soon."

Maka stared at her for a second, mulling over her words, before giving a half-hearted smile while the other woman beamed. "I'll keep that in mind. Go ahead and send the person in."

The maid disappeared, and Maka listened to the clicking of her heels as she walked down the hallway to the entrance room of the house. Blair was the first help Spirit had hired when they moved to Connecticut years ago, and she had taught Maka everything she knew about the basics in life, including the birds and the bees. She was the woman who had taught her not to allow silly men break her heart, and that when they hurt her, it was only fair that she hurt them as well. Either a kick to the groin or a punch to the nose always did the trick, but never let them see you cry. When it came to relationships, weakness was never an option.

Maka lived by that, breathed it even, because she knew the dangers of giving her all to men. No matter how good they seemed to be, it always ended with lies and cheating and heartbreak.

"Hello," came a small voice from the doorway. Maka turned to stare at the newcomer, noting her black pigtails and small frame; she looked far too young to be applying for a job as a maid. "Are you Miss Maka?"

She nodded. "Mhm. Come on in, and take a seat." Maka gestured to the chair in front of her, and the girl quickly sat down. "It's nice to meet you, Miss..."

"Tsugumi Harudori."

"Miss Tsugumi. How old are you, by chance?"

"I'm twenty-one."

Oh, so she was only a few years older than Maka.

She smiled, and pretended to jot something down in her notebook before turning back to the interviewee. "Tell me a little about yourself."

The girl, Tsugumi, was sweet, her personality was wonderful, and she was definitely someone Maka saw herself being friends with. She was also someone Maka's papa wouldn't fawn over and flirt with since she lacked the figure he was attracted to. But she was too hard working. If Maka was going to hire someone, it had to be a person who didn't give a shit about work, was a lazy ass, and would end up getting fired within a week. They didn't need a maid or a butler, and she was going to do everything in her power to demonstrate that.

After Tsugumi left - Maka told her she'd inform Tsugami later if she was hired or not - there were still another ten or so applicants lined up for an interview. Not one of them reached her standards or qualified for the position she was looking to fill. They were all too eager, too enthusiastic to work for the Albarn family, and promised to do the job well. Every single one of them was wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong!

She needed someone who didn't give a fuck about working! Someone who would show Spirit they didn't need to waste their money on a new addition to the help. Her father was an idiot who didn't know the first thing about managing his money! They didn't need a new hire. What they needed was to save their money, and to be quite honest, she was growing tired of seeing people. If she didn't find someone, Spirit was going to take her place, and then she'd really be shit out of luck. He'd probably end up hiring the first woman who walked into the room on the spot without even knowing her name.

She was rubbing her temples when Blair poked her head in, a sly grin on her face that usually meant trouble. "The last applicant is here."

"Go ahead and bring them down," she sighed. "Not like they'll be any better than the others."

"Oh, Maka, sweetie," the maid purred. "I think this one is up to your very _high_ standards, and he's a real cutie to boot! I'm sure you'll love him."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see," she cooed before disappearing again leaving a very bewildered Maka behind.

Sometimes the woman confused her to no end.

A few minutes later a man with stark white hair that practically glowed against his tan skin and red eyes that were abnormal walked in. His attire was probably the worst she had seen all day. Who the hell wore an 80's rock band shirt and tattered up jeans to a job interview? Who in their right mind left their house thinking _that_ was presentable and professional? At least the other applicants had chosen to dress nicely for _their_ interviews. The way he sauntered in and slouched when he sat down gave her the vibe that he wasn't here to please her or kiss her ass, and a small part of her was excited about that fact. Maybe Blair was right, maybe this was the perfect candidate.

And he was cute too. If only just a little, though.

"Hi, I'm Maka Albarn," she said, offering her hand to the man before her and giving him her most welcoming smile.

He stared at her like she was insane for a split second before slapping his hand in hers. She noted how slack his handshake was. "Soul."

There was a short pause in which she waited for him to give her a last name, but when he didn't, Maka quirked a brow. "Do you have a last name?" she deadpanned.

Soul rolled his eyes, and scoffed at her ignorance like his last name was common knowledge. She was starting to like him even more. If he kept up with that attitude, he was definitely not going to last long as a butler because if there was one thing her papa hated, it was rude assholes. Along with men who were within 500 feet of his daughter, but that was an entirely different issue.

"Evans. Soul Evans."

"It's nice to meet you, Soul Evans."

"Likewise, I guess," he mumbled.

Ignoring his nonchalant behavior, Maka smiled and rested her elbows on the table. "So what brings you here today?"

"I was hungry and walked in here because I thought it was a McDonalds, but I guess I'll have to cure my munchies another time." At her confused, scrunched face, he smirked, and Maka noticed his teeth were sharp. Very sharp. Did he get them filed down? What kind of weird, satanic kid was she dealing with? "Kidding. I'm here for the stupid butler job."

"Right." She sat back in her chair, bringing her notebook into her lap, and put some distance between them. "Tell me a little about yourself, Mister Evans."

"Soul. You can drop the formalities, and call me by my first name," he corrected. "Not much to know about me. Just a poor twenty-two year old looking to find a decent job some place to get some extra cash for pot."

She raised her eyebrows, but chose to pretend she didn't care about his last comment. God, he was definitely blunt, though, wasn't he? "And why do you want this particular job?"

He shrugged. "The ad looked interesting in the paper this morning so I thought why not? No harm in trying, right?"

"Right." She scribbled something incoherent even to her to make it seem like the notebook served some purpose. "And how hard working would you say you are? Are you good at time management and things like that?"

"Wouldn't really call myself hard working, if I'm being honest. More like doing the bare minimum, and sitting on my ass the rest of the time. And my time management isn't really the best. If you hire me, I can't promise I'll be on time or anything. Might be a late a few times, hungover, depends on what happened the night before. Also, I don't like waking up at the asscrack of dawn, and you wouldn't much like me at that time anyway."

"Then why are you here? You do know this is a job as a butler. You'll have to work your ass off to make this house spotless if you want to be paid, and it sounds like you aren't really that qualified for the job."

"Like I said, the job seemed interesting so I came. What more is there?"

Maka nodded, and pulled up the paper with the rest of the applicants contact information on it and slid it in front of him. "If you can fill out the last line, I think I've heard all I needed to from you."

"So the interview's over?" he asked as he took the notebook and did as she had asked.

"Yep. I'll call you tonight if you get the job."

"I'll be waiting."

She highly doubted that, but smiled nonetheless as he stood up and left. Sliding the notebook back toward her, she picked up the pen and circled his information while crossing out everyone else out on the list. There was no need for them anymore. Maka knew who she was going to pick if one last plead with her father didn't work because Soul was the perfect candidate. There was no doubt about that.

* * *

"But Papa we don't even need a new butler or maid!" Maka slammed her hands on the counter, glaring at the man in front of her like she had done many times before. Usually it worked when trying to make him see things her way or terrify him into succumbing to her demands, but for some reason it wasn't working this time around. It probably had to do with the fact that he wasn't looking at her!

"Maka, we talked about this last night-"

"No, you talked about it and ignored everything I said! We have enough help around this damn house! Another person will just cost us more!"

"And it's my money. I can spend it however I want. Besides, the new help isn't for me. You're living at home again, and I want someone who you can call for at anytime."

"But I don't need anyone to help me! I can take care of myself! Plus there's always Blair if I do!"

Spirit sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. Maybe she should lighten up and do as he wished, she owed it to him after everything her mama had put him through. But she had been hurt as well, and the sting of her papa's betrayal still pained her after all these years that it was hard for her to simply put it in the past. A part of her still wanted to be vindictive, to put him through the same suffering she had gone through. But another part wanted to be the kind, caring daughter she should have always been to him since he was the parent who didn't disappear.

It was always the vindictive part that won, though.

"I know you can, Maka. I'm not saying you can't, but this is a gift from me to you as a way of saying thanks for coming back home." His gaze shifted from the table to her, the sorrow clear behind his blue eyes, and her heart clenched. "I really did miss you."

And there it was. The words that he knew shot through her own heart, the words that crumbled the walls she had built around herself, the words that pained her like no others. They were the words that always won her over when they had arguments like this, the ones he used when he was growing tired of her being so hateful.

So she did what she always did: straightened up and buried the emotions that were slowly rising to the surface back to the darkness of her soul. The warm feelings that filled her heart and the urge to embrace the man were strong, but she was better than that. She was ruthless when it came to her papa - she knew that - but it was the only way of living she knew when it came to him, or any man for that matter. _Never let them see you sweat_, were words she lived, _breathed_ by. And there was no way she was going to allow herself to change that now. Not after years of pulling the same defense tack.

"Fine. If this is what you want, then so be it. I'll hire someone," she bit out. "But just remember that this doesn't change how I feel about you, and it never will! Yes I moved back home, but that's only because I missed the application deadline for on-campus housing. I won't next year, though."

The pained look in his eyes didn't go unmissed by her, but she ignored the desire to reach out and apologize as she continued to glare. She was stronger than that.

"You're an adult now so that's fine with me. You're free to choose where you want to live, and I can't argue with you on that." She opened her mouth to reinforce her point on not needing help, but he put up a finger to stop her. "But this is something I thought would be nice for you, to have someone help you around the guest house. You'll be busy with school work and spending time with your family. You can't expect to spend all your time cleaning up after yourself. Plus, whoever you hire will also help around the main house. It's beneficial to everyone."

Maka pouted because he did have a point. School was going to be heavier on her this next semester since she was taking some harder courses compared to the year before. But it still didn't excuse her need for a butler in the guest house, and she wished he understood that.

Instead of arguing further with him on the matter, however, she sighed heavily, turned her head away in defeat, and crossed her arms. "I'll go call the person we're going to hire."

She listened to Spirit's footsteps on the tile floor as he walked around the small island, and batted away the familial warmth that spread through her chest as he hugged her to him.

"Thank you." He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Maka."

Biting down on her lip, she wiggled out of his grip, and walked out of the kitchen, not bothering to return his declaration of affection. It was harsh, but she was pissed that he didn't side with her on the matter. Then again, she was hiring Soul which was her own form of revenge for the entire debacle, and in a weeks time, hiring a butler was going to be the farthest from her mind. Employing a butler was going to be the least of worries, and she was going to live her life like a normal human being who wasn't rich and could afford such luxuries.

* * *

Given the fact that his brother was the same as him when it came to their parent's money, Soul hadn't expected Wes' apartment to be so expensive and extravagant. On the outside, it didn't seem like much - just a regular apartment - but on the inside, it was definitely not like the ones Soul had been in before. The quality was higher with the real hardwood flooring, cream-colored walls, and polished marble bar near the kitchen. Hell, even the fridge and stove were high tech and top notch. Wes paid a pretty penny to live in a place like that, and Soul wasn't entirely sure of the reasoning behind him finding a place that resembled the Evans home so well.

The biggest surprise, though, was the fact that Wes had also chosen a floor plan that included a second bedroom. It was almost like he was expecting his brother to move in with him, and follow in his footsteps of leaving home. Nevermind Soul had spent a couple years in college while his brother had only lived in the apartment for a year. Nevermind he didn't exactly plan or ever suggest living with his brother. But when it came to that or moving back home with his parents when the hole college thing didn't work out, Soul's only choice was his brother. Still, no one - not even himself - had predicted he'd drop out, so why had Wes?

Walking into the spacious home, he tried to ignore the crippling fear that came with the thought of his beloved brother counting on his failure, and focused on the events from earlier. He wasn't getting the butler job, that much he knew for sure. The girl - Maka? Was that her name? - didn't seem to like him at all. Even her attitude at the end of the interview gave the impression she despised him, which in hindsight was exactly what he was going for.

Who the fuck wanted to work as a fucking butler? Not him, that's for sure.

"Hey little brother," Wes called from the kitchen when Soul walked in.

The younger brother's only response was a small grunt as he shredded himself of his shoes and jacket, dropping them off near the front door.

"Don't keep those there!" his brother chided. "Put them back in your room. I don't want this place to be completely taken over by your mess."

"Yeah, yeah."

Wes emerged from the kitchen wearing a pink frilly apron that was most definitely not his if the embroidered name 'Jessica' across his chest was any indication. The smile from his face dropped as his eyes trailed up and down his brother's body in disgust. Soul mimicked his actions, and noted that he probably shouldn't have wasted an extra thirty minutes than necessary in order to beat his brother. He should have came straight home after the interview and changed, given the impression that he wanted to work instead of laze around the house all day.

"I'd ask how the interview went, but your outfit tells me all I need to know. Did you really wear that to a _job_ interview?"

His voice was low, and to someone who didn't know Wes, it would have seemed like he didn't care. But Soul wasn't a stranger. He was perfectly aware of his brother's behavior by now, and when he spoke with that tone, it meant he was really pissed off.

"Does it matter? It wasn't even a real job."

"What do you mean it wasn't a real job? You signed forms and did an interview, right? They're gonna pay you if they give it to you. That is if you didn't fuck it up by giving them a bad first impression."

Soul sighed and walked toward the couch to plop down on it, crossing his arms in the process. "God, I walk in the door, and the first thing that happens is I get yelled at for no fucking reason. Can't I rest a bit before you chew my ass off?"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't, Soul."

He turned to glare at his brother, but backed down immediately. Wes' blue eyes were so cold as he stared Soul down that he practically felt the knife stabbing him in the chest. Soul had fucked up big time, and there was going to be hell to pay. But instead of facing his issues head on, Soul scoffed and turned away from his brother, glaring at the ottoman that sat in front of him and wanting _it_ to set on fire.

"It was a stupid butler job that I only went to because you were up my ass about getting a fucking job." Soul heard Wes take in a deep breath to yell at him some more, but he spoke before the older man could. "_But_ tomorrow I'll go out and look for another job. I noticed there were a few places hiring on the way home. I can start there."

Wes' barefeet slapped against the hardwood as he walked toward Soul, and the couch cushion beside him sunk down as his brother sat there.

"Just because I fucked up one interview, it doesn't mean it's the end of the world, Wes. You gotta know that."

"I do, but it seems like you don't give a fuck. I know that might be true, but I wish you did. You've been living here for three months now free rent. I give you a place to eat and shower and sleep. The only thing I'm asking in return now is that you help me out some. That's why I want you to get the job, Soul. It isn't to force you to do adult things." Wes sighed and ran a hand through his light blonde hair. "I love you, and the last thing I want is to kick you out and toss you back to Mom and Dad."

Soul's heart ached at his brother's words, and he chanced a side glance to study the older man before speaking. His face was calm, a little worn from age, and his eyes were closed as he steadily breathed in and out. Wes looked old for someone who was so young, only seven years older than himself, and he felt that somehow it was his fault. That somehow since he had moved back in, he was the cause of the hints of grey that littered his brother's hair.

Wes definitely didn't look like that when Soul showed up on his doorstep a few months ago, his duffel bag hanging over one shoulder and a helmet tucked under his arm. His brother had looked youthful, his facial features relaxed with no visible wrinkles, his bright blue eyes shining with admiration, and his blonde hair thick. He definitely wasn't the man he saw now. His hair was lighter, eyes more dull than before, and small hints of lines littered Wes' face. Since the time Soul had moved in, his appearance had changed, and a small pang of guilt shot through his heart like an arrow.

Turning away from his brother, he decided that maybe he should help make his life easier, and finding a job was definitely the way to go about it.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," Soul said as he stood up from the couch. He felt Wes' gaze follow him as he made his way to the back of the apartment, probably expecting some rebuttal from their conversation, but there wasn't one. If he said anything else, he didn't know how he'd react as his chest pained and his world caved in.

The hot water was welcoming as it scorched his skin, washing away the guilt and resentment he felt for treating his brother like complete shit. Wes had been so gracious to Soul since he dropped out of college. Whether it was because he had counted on his younger brother's failure in college or not, he had still opened his home up to Soul with no questions asked. He didn't have to do that, God did he not have to, and Soul should have been grateful for his brother's generosity. Honestly, he should have been.

But what did he do in return? Not a damn thing except be a lazy ass who sat on the couch all day playing video games. Yes, he helped clean around the apartment, and kept things tidy when Wes gave him that look. But not once did he offer to help pay for the expensive as fuck apartment or the groceries he bought. All this time he took everything Wes gave him and did for him for and washed it down the drain like it was complete shit, which included everything Wes did during their childhood. Soul's entire life, and not once did he appreciate the things his brother did, not once. Even he was disgusted with himself at the thought, and only imagined how Wes felt about him.

When he finished taking his shower and changed into his pajamas, Soul walked out barefoot to the front of the apartment and sat down at the dining room table. A few seconds later, Wes emerged from the kitchen and placed a plate of food and a bottle of water in front of him before taking his own place on the other side. They ate in silence, both brothers lost in their own thoughts. Soul mostly brooded about how terrible a brother he was. When he finished stabbing his chicken out of anger, pretending it was himself, Soul threw down his fork and slammed his hands on the table.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

Wes paused mid chew to glance up at his brother before starting up again and swallowing. "Sorry about what? Did I miss something?"

Soul growled and ran a hand through his hair. "You know exactly what. I'm sorry for being such a shitty brother these last few months. I haven't treated you the way you deserve to be treated, okay? I'll get a fucking job and help pay some of the bills. I'll try to do better, I promise. Can you just stop guilt tripping me?"

"I wasn't guilt tripping you, though." His brother gently placed his fork down next to his plate, and rest his elbows on the table. "I was just trying to help motivate you to do something with your life instead of sitting on the couch all day playing video games."

"It sure as hell felt like you were."

"Then I'm sorry, but I'm glad you're finally gonna help me out here. This place really isn't cheap." Wes picked up his fork and began to eat his food once again, carefully stabbing the green beans on his plate. "So, have you heard back from the butler job yet?"

"Nah." Mimicking his brother, but with a more harsh motion than him, Soul resumed eating his own dinner. "The girl hasn't called me. Doubt I got the job, too. I was a complete dick during the interview."

"Oh, a girl? Future sister in law?"

"Really, Wes?"

His brother shrugged. "What? Gotta find you someone, right? Can't have you living with six billion cats and starring in an episode of Hoarders or something."

"That's not even fair." Soul took a bite of his food, his sharp teeth digging into the chicken and ripping it from the other half. He spent a few seconds chewing on the food as he opened and closed his mouth. The manners he was raised with were thrown out the window as some pieces flew from his mouth, and Wes gave him yet another look. "I don't like cats."

"Who taught you to eat that way? A cow?"

"If by cow you mean my older bro then yes."

"I'll take that as a compliment since cows are gorgeous."

"You should check a mirror. Unless you've broken all the ones you own already."

"You aren't funny," Wes said, pointing his fork in Soul's direction.

"Yeah, says you-". He was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing from his back pocket, and Soul placed his utensil down on the table to fish it out.

"Whoever it is, tell 'em you'll call when dinner's over," Wes commented.

The younger brother's response was to grunt as he stared at the unknown number that shone on his phone screen. It wasn't from someone he knew, but the area code was from their part of Connecticut. Usually he avoided answering calls from foreign numbers, but for some reason he swiped to take this one.

"Hullo," he said as he set the speaker to his ear, his other hand picking at a whole in the outdated table cloth.

"Hi, this is Maka Albarn. I was calling for Soul Evans," came the cheery voice of the girl who had interviewed him earlier. His heart jumped in his chest as he quickly glanced at his brother, remembering their conversation only minutes ago.

"Uh, this is he."

"Oh good. I was calling to tell you that we would like to hire you as our butler. If you're still interested that is."

Swallowing his pride, he quickly debated his options. On one hand, he could tell the girl he wasn't and find another job if anyone else was willing to hire a college dropout. Or he could say he was still interested, work as a stupid butler, and help his brother out with bills. Neither option seemed enticing as he twirled a loose piece of fabric around his index finger, but he had to choose one of them. Who knew if he'd find another place to work, a place that paid well. And the family did seem rich. If he remembered correctly, the maid who had led him to the interview let slip how much she made a week.

"Yeah, I'm still interested. I'll take it." He sighed as he leaned back in his seat, twining his fingers through his hair and throwing a toothy grin to his confused his brother.

"Excellent." Maka paused on the other end for a brief second before speaking again. "Can you come in tomorrow at two to fill out some paper work and get acquainted with your duties?"

"How long will I be there exactly?"

"It won't be too long. Probably three hours max, but you'll be getting paid for it. Also, since you don't have a uniform yet, you'll have to get fitted for it. I recommend-"

"All I need is a suit, right?"

"Mhm."

"I got that already."

"Oh, that's good to hear. Then wear it when you come so I can make sure it fits with the standard dress code." She took a deep breath in. "So can I expect you here at two tomorrow?"

"Yep, I'll be there."

"Good. See you then, Soul. Bye."

"Bye."

Hanging up the phone, he set it back down on the table, picked up his fork, and resumed with finishing his dinner, ignoring his brother's raised brows as he waited for an explanation. Several seconds passed, the sound of silverware hitting ceramic filling the quiet apartment, when Wes finally cleared his throat to draw Soul's attention back on him. Soul's mouth was mid-chew as he looked up at his brother, his teeth still chomping on the piece of chicken.

"What?" he asked, spraying a few bits of chicken on the table.

"Learn to eat with your mouth closed," Wes chided. "And tell me what that call was about, please! I'm your brother, you owe me that much."

"Being my brother doesn't mean I owe you anything."

"You were a pain in the ass when you were a kid, and as the older one, I was the one who had to deal with that. So yes, you do owe me."

"Well, as the younger brother who had to endure all your violin playing no matter the occasion, I'd say you owe me."

Wes shook his head exasperated. "Are we really having talking about this? Tell me what the damn phone call was or I'll cut your dick off in the middle of the night."

"God, you can be a little fuck when you want to." Soul paused to take a drink of his water, slammed the bottle on the table as a few droplets spilled out, and wiped his mouth off. "I got the butler job." He found it difficult to fight back his own grin when his brother's lips pried open to reveal his perfectly straight teeth.

"Really? That's great! I don't know how you did it dressed like a hobo, but you did! Congrats, little brother!"

"Thanks." Soul bowed his head as his bangs fell in front of his eyes to hide the warmth that spread across his face.

They spent the rest of the dinner talking about his new job, and how crazy it was that he was going to be working as a fucking butler. Even Soul had to admit that it was one of the more insane things he'd ever done, and never in his life had he expected himself to wind up as one. But there he was. Twenty-two college dropout who was living with his brother and about to start working as a butler. Totally living the dream.

At least it made him feel less of a shit brother. That was the bright side here and that was the only thing that mattered, he told himself as he went to sleep , both dreading and anticipating the next day.

* * *

After hanging up, Maka dropped the phone onto her desk and smiled to herself. Out of everyone she had seen that day, Soul was by far the one that had fit her standards - which weren't very high to begin with, and didn't say much either. There was no doubt in her mind that he wasn't going to end up being fired within a week. The boy was a lazy, good for nothing who could care less about his job, and nothing made her happier.


	2. Don't Kill Caesar

**Chapter 2: Don't Kill Caesar**

**A/N: Here is the second chapter of my Butler AU. Thank you to sojustifiable for betaing this thing for me, and I hope y'all like it. Reviews are very much appreciated!**

The drive up to the Albarn family home wasn't as long or tedious as most estates Soul had been to before. Their driveway was shorter than the standard that was found in Vermont where his parents lived, and their land didn't seem to be as large either. If he had to guess, it was probably only about five acres or so, but nothing more than that. The house itself it was different than what he had seen in the past as well. There was no fountain or extravagant landscape for visitors and passersby to gawk at. Nor was the architecture of the home complex, gaudy, or excessive.

It was a simple two story house with a two car garage and a guest house in the back. He had to give the family props for not splurging on their money like so many people in the past had done before. Not once had Soul seen a family that encountered new money survive for so long. There had always been a point in their new fortune that they spiraled out of control and made expenses that were unnecessary, but the Albarn family was different. They had secured their money for the last ten years, and were doing well for themselves.

He was impressed, to say the least.

"Hi," came the familiar cheery voice from the interview.

Soul turned around from his spot in the middle of the foyer to see the girl from the day before, Maka Albarn if he remembered correctly. Her hair was tied up in high ponytail rather than the pigtails he had first seen her wearing. They had given her disposition a friendlier, more innocent feel, but today he felt a more professional vibe radiating off her.

"I'm glad you were able to make it. Soul Evans, right?"

"Yeah," he grunted.

Clearing his throat, he reminded himself that he needed this job to help Wes out and prove that he wasn't a lazy ass who mooched off his brother. There was no way he was going to be fired, not for being a huge dick with a stick up his ass who thought he was better than a butler job.

No, that wasn't how Soul did things.

"I mean yes, but you could call me Soul. No Mister Evans or any sh-." He caught himself midway and back tracked, pulling up the old Evans family charm he had diminished years ago. "Or anything like that; I'm not really the formal type."

Maka's brows scrunched up in confusion, but if she had caught what he was going to say, she didn't comment on it.

"Right. Well this is a butler job, and sometimes Papa likes to refer to Blair as Miss Davis rather than her first name, especially at parties. So the formality will have to be tolerated at some points. Is that okay with you, Mister Evans?"

Soul flinched slightly.

She said the name like it was poison dripping from her lips, trying to kill him with the courtliness of his name, but he swallowed his pride to embrace the culture he had left behind. He ignored the crippling fear that clawed at the back of his mind, that reminded him of times he'd rather forget. He was doing this for his brother, and he refused to fail.

Nodding, he said, "Yes, I can handle that if I need to."

"Good." Her eyes trailed down his body as she took in his appearance, and he caught the slight arch of her brow. "You clean up very nice, I see. The suit looks good on you. Fits you very nicely compared to what I've seen past butlers try to pull off. I approve."

"Thank you," he said as he returned her smile.

It was an expensive suit, that cost a pretty penny, that he had only worn once to his brother's violin performance the year prior; one that his father had paid to have hand tailored especially for him as a graduation gift years ago.

"Shall we begin the tour then?"

"Yes. That would be great."

Motioning for him to follower her, she showed him around the main house. Maka led him around the first floor and pointed out key places he'd be working while Soul made mental notes of the things she was saying. He tried to make a mental map of the house, where each of the rooms were, and how anal her dad was about cleaning since he was technically his boss. But it was difficult without the man there to dictate him. It was hard conjuring up a mental image of someone he barely knew, let alone trying to decide how ruthless he was.

Though, based on the standard of living around him, and the light dust still present on some of the furniture, Soul guessed he wasn't that strict.

The portion of the main house he was going to be working in was mostly the upstairs near the area that Maka's old room still remained. Most of her personal belongings were still there, while the rest resided in the guest house, and the other side was reserved for Blair. She was the only one allowed to touch Spirit Albarn's belongings, but there were going to be times when Soul's help was going to be needed with other things. According to Maka, he was also required to help with family meals and dinner parties when they occurred.

The guest house - where Maka had moved by request of her father - was down a paved path outside of the house that wound down a small hill. Compared to the main house, it wasn't as large and didn't have as many rooms. There were two stories to it as well with the top floor reserved mostly for the bedroom and bathroom while the bottom floor held a small kitchen area and living room. It was a nice and cozy home, but what Soul found the most peculiar were the paintings that hung behind the television.

One was a painting of a demonic moon with blood dripping from it's mouth, and the one next to it was a sun that seemed to be laughing jollily at an unknown source. They definitely stood out against the pinks and purples and greens in the room, and with the sun shining in through the window, it gave an eerie feeling to the bubbly personality of the rest of the home.

"Well," Maka said as she clapped her hands and turned around, "that's the end of the tour. Did you have any questions?"

"Nope. I'm good." His eyes drifted over toward the paintings, and he took a step toward them. "Actually, what's up with these paintings?" At her confused look, he quickly added, "Because they don't seem to fit the rest of the house."

"They were a gift from one of Papa's friends, and I really like them so brought them over from the main house."

She sounded slightly guarded as she said this. Her arms pulled up to cross in front of her chest, and Soul made a mental note to not ask again.

"Was that all?"

"Uh, yeah - I mean yes. That was the only question I had."

"Glad to hear that. Now if you'll follow me, Papa wants to meet and speak to you privately."

His reverie was thrown by her statement and he whirled around to stare at her. "What? Privately?"

"Mhm. It's standard for everyone who's hired to meet with him. Even though you're working under me, Papa's still your boss who'll be paying you so it's good to make a good impression with him. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"No. It's perfectly fine."

"Excellent." Soul caught the faint line of a smirk cross her lips. "I suggest you don't pull the bullshit you did with me during our interview with him."

"Right. Of course."

"So are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Which wasn't ready at all.

"Good. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to Papa's study."

Leading him out of the guest house, Maka led him back toward the main house, through the kitchen, the foyer, and down a hall off the east wing of the house. She stopped in front of a dark wood door that was across from where his interview had been conducted. Her smile was pleasant, kind, as she wrapped her hand around the doorknob, but there was a small glint in her eyes that told him her intentions were anything but that. His stomach churned with dread while his hands went cold and sweaty. He tried to ignore the feelings and pretend they were for something else, but he was unable to shake them off.

"Good luck," she said.

There was a cheerful ring to it that helped calm his nerves, but something still felt off as she closed the door and held his gaze over her shoulder as he crossed the threshold.

Soul had only heard about Spirit Albarn from what his brother had told him. According to Wes, Spirit had placed a large investment in a company called Death Enterprise when his daughter was born. After some years it had grown into an international business, but it wasn't until about eight years after the investment proved to be beneficial that he finally came in contact with his fortune. Then he moved his family out to one of the richest neighborhoods in Connecticut after branching out in the area and being placed as head of the new location.

Somewhere in there he had also experienced a nasty divorce where his wife left him, the country, and their daughter.

The picture his brother drawn for him of the man had been someone who was a laidback man and had come into money by accident. But as Soul stared at the man before him, Spirit Albarn was anything but that.

He sat as his desk in a fashion that reminded Soul of Vito Corleone; the only thing missing was a cat sitting on his lap. Spirit's eyes were closed, hands folded together as he rested his chin on top, with the sun shining behind him casting his face in shadows. It was a sinister and evil image, and Soul's heart rate only increased by the minute. Swallowing the fear down, he tried to calm his nerves and stood straighter as he hoped to give off a good first impression.

"You're Soul Evans, the boy my precious daughter hired?"

Dull blue eyes opened and trained on Soul, and he felt himself become far too aware of his own movements, which led him to overthink the smallest of things. He self-consciously smoothed out wrinkles on his suit that weren't there, and intertwined his fingers behind his back. It was difficult for him to fight against the urge to stuff them in his pockets and slouch, but he did it.

"Yes, sir."

"It's nice to finally meet you. Wish I had been there to oversee your interview, but I was working yesterday and left it up to Maka." Spirit leaned back in his chair and smiled. "You're here now, though, so we can cover some ground rules about working in my house."

There was a short pause between them before Soul realized the man was waiting for him to respond.

"And what are those ground rules?" Soul asked.

"The first rule," Spirit began, numbering the rules off his fingers, "is to not touch my daughter in any way. You're working for us. There won't be any trying to get into Maka's pants or anything like that. I know how boys your age are. I was one a long time ago, and I remember all the perverted thoughts I had. So stay away from Maka, or I'll have you castrated. Is that clear?"

"Don't worry, sir. I won't touch your daughter."

Spirit's eyes squinted at him, there was a hint of anger in his blue eyes, but if he had another comment, he didn't say it. "That's good to hear. The second rule is that you are to arrive here promptly at eight in the morning to begin your daily work. Blair will have your list for the day and you'll be reporting to her before you leave for the day so she can check that you cleaned well. Consider her your supervisor for this job."

"Which leads us to the third rule: Maka and I are your bosses, and if we ask you to do something, you do it. It doesn't matter if you're already doing something, you are to stop and perform our task. Understood?"

"I understand." Soul nodded.

"Right. Good." Spirit shifted through some papers on his desk. After finding the one he was looking for, he slid it out. "That's all the rules for now. I'm sure you'd like to know when you get paid and how much."

His eyes fell back on Soul before he giving him the financial portion of his job, and the other expectations they had of him. There were also some legal forms he had to fill out, but Soul's meeting with Spirit didn't last longer than about half an hour. He left the room feeling a little easier than before, calmer. Spirit hadn't been the hardass Soul believed he was at first, and had loosened up closer to the end. He still felt the superior, sophisticated air that swarmed Spirit, but behind it he sensed a more relaxed one as well.

In the end, he still felt intimidated by Spirit Albarn.

Closing the door behind him, Soul released a sigh of relief and stretched out his back. He was one step closer to ridding himself of the suit and tie getup, escaping from the confines of his outfit, and he slouched a little as he scratched the back of his neck. It was utter hell falling back into the manners he had abandoned long ago, but it was for Wes. He was doing this for his brother.

"How did it go?" Maka asked as she popped up behind him, startling Soul.

He stood up straighter once again and composed himself into the bored, uncaring mood he usually carried before turning around. "It went well."

"Papa didn't tear your head off because you're a guy, did he?"

"Um, no. He was pretty okay with me working here"

She nodded and pursed her lips. "That's good to hear. So I guess you'll be starting work tomorrow?"

"Yep."

"Great." Her smile was sweet, but a gleam in her eyes said she was anything but sweet. "I'll see you here bright and early, and hope you'll do a wonderful job."

"Thanks," he said. Turning around, he left the house and drove back home feeling a little more confident, and a little more uncertain.

* * *

A week passed by, and Soul was helping Blair cook dinner by cutting carrots.

"Oh, are we having steamed carrots and broccoli with steak again?" Maka asked, surprising both of them.

"Mhm," Blair hummed. "Your dad requested especially for you."

"That's great." Maka trailed off and smiled. "It smells really good so far."

"Thank you."

Maka turned her gaze to Soul who she noted was staring very carefully at the vegetables he was cutting, the knife slicing them slowly. Looking back at him, she saw the concentration etched in his face. His brows were furrowed, lips sucked in, and she swore he wasn't breathing. It was a little endearing, probably his first time cutting anything in his entire life. Her smile grew.

"Don't mess up with those veggies," she sangsong. Soul's gaze quickly flew to her and back to the task in front of him. "Papa would really hate if they aren't to his liking. Might yell at you. Who knows really?"

He caught the sly smile and knew she was lying, but played her game anyways. Soul had caught on early that she didn't want him there as much as he didn't really care to be. It was no surprise really why she had hired him above everyone else who had been eager and more fit for the job, according to Blair.

"Don't worry," he said. He dropped the carrots into the saucepan, that was smeared with butter already, before pulling the head of broccoli toward him. "My brother taught me to cook when I was little so I know what I'm doing. Just trying to make things perfect."

Her slight pout was adorable, and the fallen look on her face was laughable. But he controlled himself.

"That's good to hear. I'll leave you two alone, then."

Soul listened for the door to swing close before asking Blair, "She doesn't like me much, does she?"

There was a small hesitance before the maid spoke. "No, she does; Maka just takes some time to warm up to people. She'll come around. I promise."

"Yeah, I hope so. I'd really rather not lose this job. I kinda need the money right now." He flinched slightly, dropping his guard for a second, but Blair didn't comment on it.

"Spirit is a better man than you'd expect, and he really appreciates having you here. I've been putting in a good word for you, telling him how wonderful you've been with helping me. He isn't going to fire you."

"Thanks, Blair."

His heart warmed at the sincerity in her voice and the corner of his mouth twitched.

* * *

Two weeks, he was dusting the furniture in their living room while Spirit read the morning paper.

Maka pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes as she watched him move the duster over one of their family heirlooms. The feathers lightly curved over the small ballerina knick knack, Soul's gaze lazy and relaxed as he did so. It irked Maka to see him standing there so casually, as if he were a part of the home decor, how he didn't bother to greet her as she walked or anything. She glared daggers into his back before steeling her facial features and walking over toward him.

"Hey Soul," she said in her most cheerful voice.

Soul's turned bored eyes to her, nodded, and resumed his dusting. "Hello Miss Albarn. How are you today?"

His tone was professional, charming, and he didn't speak with the same conviction as he did during their interview only a couple weeks ago. It was confusing, to say the least. Where was the boy that slouched when he sat? The boy who was limp and stoic and didn't care about a single thing? Where did he disappear to? Because whoever this new person was, it definitely wasn't the same Soul Evans she had interviewed.

Throwing a quick glance over to her dad, Maka smirked and played casual as she crossed her arms and stared up at the butler. "Did I ever tell you your eyes looked glazed over and really droopy. Almost like you were high or something." She giggled. "But that would be ridiculous! You wouldn't come to work high, would you Soul?"

Soul threw a panicky look over his shoulder at Spirit who was still reading the newspaper, not listening to his daughter as she accused him of being high. He knew he never should have mentioned that little tidbit during the interview, and now he was regretting it. It had been a joke, something he had said to make sure he didn't get the job. But now that he was here working for the Albarn family, of course it was going to backfire on him. Of course Maka was going to use it against him. She had been trying to get him fired since day one.

Maka was a little shit sometimes.

"Huh," he started, "no. I don't do that, ma'am."

He turned and glared down at the pint sized girl, hoping his look was menacing enough to scare her, but she didn't back up or cower like he was used to.

"Now if you'll excuse me I need to finish cleaning."

"Does that mean you're hungover? Had a heavy night of drinking?" she challenged, not bothering to move out of his way.

"I'm sorry, but I don't do things like that in my spare time. I think you may have gotten the _wrong perception_ of me during our interview." He tried to emphasis his words with a low growl, a warning, but she still ignored him.

"I highly doubt that, because I'm sure it was you who had told me that, unless I'm mistaken of course."

"Mistress," he said lowly, "if that were true, then why did you hire me?" She opened her mouth to refute his claim, closed it, puffed out her cheeks, and scowled at the ground. He smirked and nodded, knowing when the battle was over. "You see my point. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to finish cleaning your house."

The piercing look she threw him stabbed his back, but he ignored it as he walked out of the room. He noted that Spirit was wearing earphones so didn't hear the little exchange Soul had with his daughter, and he was forever grateful for it.

* * *

Three weeks in he was helping serve dinner while she and Spirit sat across from each other.

She watched as he placed a plate in front of her papa and another in front of her, filled his glass with wine and hers with diet soda before heading back into the kitchen. Spirit asked her about how her day went, Maka mumbled a generic reply that didn't really have anything to do with her at all. It was the most typical dinner in the Albarn family. The only difference was that her papa was there instead of spending another late night at his office, leaving her to eat alone.

When Soul came back out to clear up the table, she saw her chance and took it. Her dad was leaning back in his chair rubbing his slightly larger belly, and complementing the butler on how well he and Blair cooked that night. Her gaze followed Soul as he walked around the table to her side, gave him a small smile when he reached for her plate, but surprised him when she handed him her plate herself, touching his fingers with hers as she did so.

"It was really great, Soul. Thank you," she said.

From the corner of her eye she saw Blair exit the kitchen, the desert in hand, and Maka quickly debated on continuing her faux flirting or not. Nothing passed Blair. Nothing. She was more than positive she'd know exactly what Maka was up to, especially since the maid had been watching her more carefully than normal.

Licking her lips, she chanced the risk.

"You're really cute. Did you know that?" she asked Soul while brushing a finger along the length of his, relishing in the reaction she pulled from him.

Soul had been startled when Maka first interlocked her fingers with his. His body tensed up at the new sensation, but his heart had fallen into it like the hopeless romantic that he was - though, he didn't feel anything like that for her. Then when she continued to touch him, he became a little ticked off by it. If this was her way of playing nice with him, he wasn't having any of it.

Glancing down at her, Soul pulled his best intimidating face and lowered his voice as he growled, "Either this is sexual harassment, or you're trying to get me fired again. It isn't gonna work, Miss Albarn."

She blinked those doe-like eyes up at him as she feigned innocence. "What are you talking about, _Mister Evans_? I'm just giving you a compliment."

"Maka, please get your hand off me before I sue you for sexual harassment," he said bluntly.

"Fine," she pouted, and removed her hand from his.

He moved to the other side of her, threw a quick look at Spirit as he talked to Blair and thanked the heavens that he hadn't noticed anything. But the slight twinkle in the maid's cat-like eyes told him she had. Soul was going to have some explaining to do once they were back in the kitchen.

"I know you've been trying to get me fired, but it isn't going to work," he whispered while grabbing her glass and refilling it - the plate sitting on the table in front of him. "I'm here to stay whether you like it or not, and I'd appreciate it if you chilled with your little antics. They aren't working. Plus, you're dad isn't really noticing anything you pull, you do realize that, _sugar plum_?"

Maka blanched at the overused nickname and she glowered up at him. "Why you little-"

"Sugar plum," Spirit yelled from across the table and both of them turned to look at him. "Here have some cake. Soul and Blair made it especially for us!" He pushed the cake toward her, and nodded at it encouragingly.

Green eyes glaring at him in warning, she moved to grab one of the prettily wrapped cupcakes while Soul left the dining room with a small smile playing on his lips. In all honesty, Maka was a butt sometimes, but it was fun to tease the poor girl when one of her tactics to get him fired didn't work. He was enjoying his time working for the Albarn family more than he had originally expected.

* * *

When four weeks rolled around, she was only a little ticked off that he was washing dishes in the main kitchen.

And by a little, she was beyond pissed.

Stabbing her salad as she sat at the kitchen island, Maka glared at the butler. She imagined herself drilling holes into the back of his skull, and throwing him into the pool with cement shoes. It irked her to no end that he was still working at her house, that after all her complaining and plans to have her papa fire him, she had failed. Her hatred was probably pitiful to the outside eyes, but she didn't much care. He wasn't supposed to have lasted this long; he was meant to only be working in the Albarn home for a week, at the most! But he clearly hadn't.

Soul finished the dishes, wiped his hands off, and made his way out of the kitchen to clean another area of the house. As he passed by Maka, he ignored her gaze as it followed him, and she stabbed her salad harder than necessary. She angrily chewed the lettuce, huffing out a deep breath like a bull as he left the kitchen before turning back around. From the corner of her eye, she saw Blair staring at her. Her brows were knitted together, lips pulled down into a frown, and her yellow cat-like eyes looked at her like Maka had lost her mind.

"What?" Maka barked.

Blair shrugged and shook her head. "Nothing."

But she sat down on the bar stool across from Maka that reminded her of a parent about to chide their child for something they had done wrong. Rolling her eyes and pursing her lips, Maka dropped her gaze to her Caesar salad and pretended to be more interested in it.

"Maka, why have you spent the last month glaring at that poor boy like he was the one who dropped the atomic bomb on Japan?"

"No idea what you're talking about," Maka deadpanned. "I haven't been doing such things. You must be losing it, Blair."

The maid sighed. "I love you, you know I do, but Soul hasn't done a single thing wrong since he started working here, and I know exactly what you're trying to do." At Maka's raised brows, she continued. "Flirting with him, asking if he's drunk or high when your dad's around. He hasn't been none the wiser, but I know what you're up to."

Dropping her fork on the counter, Maka crossed her arms defiantly. "And what, pray tell, am I trying to do?"

"Stop trying to get Soul fired."

"I'm not trying to get him fired!"

"Don't lie to yourself, kitten. We both know you are, and it isn't fair to him. Soul is a very hardworking young man, and he needs this job."

"You can't prove anything!" Maka countered.

"If you get him fired, I will tell your dad what you've been trying to do and have him rehire that boy! I know you didn't want a butler when Spirit told you he wanted to hire someone new, but Soul is a good addition to this household. He does what he needs to, and he does it well. Stop trying to get him fired."

Maka stared at Blair, her lips pursed out, and went back to eating her salad. "Whatever."

She felt the other woman open her mouth to say something, but the scraping of the stool against the tile floor told her she had changed her mind. "Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go clean up master Spirit's side of the house."

The maid's shoes clicked as she walked out the kitchen, the swinging door switching, and Maka dropped her fork to stare at the wall opposite her. Maybe Blair was right. Maybe she was being a little too harsh with Soul and being a little too mean to the poor boy. There was really nothing else she could do with getting the butler fired. Her papa refused to listen to her complaining and begging and every other trick she tried to pull out of the book. Even Soul ignored her attempts at pulling him toward Spirit's bad side.

Glaring at her salad, appetite suddenly gone, she dropped the rest of it in the trash and left the main house to go study at the guest house - her new home. It was still weird to think of it as her home even after living there for only a few weeks. She had known the guest house as the place of residence when Papa's friends came up for business meetings and needed a place to crash, as the place where Spirit brought over his one night stands because she had walked in one them once when she was little.

Lucky for her, she had spent an entire day disinfecting the place, and making it feel like it was indeed her home. Living in the guest house was a nice change of pace compared to being in her old room in the main house. She had privacy, a spot to call her own, and a breather from the home she had come to hate. Throughout the years living there, it had felt like she was suffocating, the spacious rooms closing in on her as she sat in the library. There were things that haunted her still, the remnants of her mama still lying around.

It had become an inner hell that she wanted out of.

* * *

Soul scrubbed down the counters in the upstairs bathroom of Maka's old room, the gentle hum of the air conditioner filling the silence of the room. This side of the house was always quiet when he came up to clean it. Since Maka had moved into the guest house, no one ever ventured to her room or the other ones, but there was still some cleaning to do. General upkeep of her old bedroom and bathroom was still needed.

Pushing himself off his knees, he stretched his back out and admired his work. Never in his life had he ever worked this hard over one single project - especially when that project was house cleaning. Soul was the biggest slob in the world who kept his room a mess and his clothes strewn out all over the place. Wes had commented on him working as a butler, saying maybe his job was going to help encourage him to be a little more clean. Joke was on him though, because Soul was not changing himself for shit.

He was being paid to clean the Albarn's house; Wes wasn't paying him to clean their apartment.

Making his way downstairs, Soul began to loosen his tie as he walked, and gave a small sigh as he was thankful for his shift to be over. It hadn't been too hard of day - at least, not compared to normal - but he still felt worn and tired. He nudged the door open to the dining hall, and stopped in his tracks as he saw Maka eating at the table. Alone.

"Uh," he awkwardly started before rubbing the back of his neck.

Usually he helped with dinner, followed with being dismissed afterward, but tonight it had been Blair's turn to serve the Albarn family while he cooked. He was used to addressing Spirit when it was time for him to go home, and wasn't sure what to do with Maka.

Her gaze moved from the food she was pushing around on her plate to him. Green eyes were bored and sad, reminding him of the nights he had spent alone when he was younger. Sitting at a large table that had company most of the year had been a lonely endeavor for him, and his heart ached at the sight before him. Even if her tone was harsh and cold, he recognized the hurt that was still hidden beneath it.

"What?"

"My shift is over, and I'm supposed to report to your dad-"

"He isn't here," she deadpanned. She stared back down at her plate, lips tight as she held back what he assumed were tears. "But you can go home if your shift is done. I'm sure you did a good job cleaning."

"Uh, right. Thanks." He paused. "So where is your dad?"

Maka bit her lip and bowed her head more. "He's working late."

"Do you… do you usually eat alone?"

He wasn't much of a nosy person, preferring to keep to himself and not bother others, but this was the first time he had seen something like this since working for the Albarn family. A part of him was curious; they had seemed different compared to his family when he first arrived, and it was interesting to see a scene reenacted from his own childhood.

"Why do you care?" she almost growled. Soul shrugged and mumbled a small 'just curious', and her eyes softened a little. "Yeah, this isn't the first time he's stayed out after work, probably sleeping with his secretary or something, and didn't want me to find out by bringing her home with him. I'm used to it, though."

Maka licked her lips and turned back to her plate. "If that's all, you can go home now. You're done working for the day, right?"

Her tone was final and he knew the subject was dropped, but his gut churned with sympathy as he watched her roll her food around her plate once more. It was too close to home for him - too familiar. There was no way he was going to be able to leave the house without feeling guilty knowing she was eating dinner by herself. Soul knew how it felt no matter how many times he had told himself he was fine, and that he didn't care that his family were all at Wes' concert.

It had wounded him, and seeing Maka like that brought on a wave of compassion for her.

Storming off into the kitchen - his mind made up - Soul loosened the tie around his neck even more. He grabbed a plate from the cabinet and set himself a plate along with grabbing a soda from the mini fridge before heading back out to the dining hall. Soul sat across from Maka pretending like everything was normal, and ignoring the confused stare she gave him.

"So how was your day today?" he asked as casually as possible while stuffing a fork full of potatoes into his mouth.

All of his manners had been thrown out the window the moment he saw Maka sitting at the table by herself, but he couldn't really bring himself to care as long as it helped her to feel some kind of normalcy between them.

* * *

Maka blinked and felt her mouth fall open slightly as Soul sat in front of her with a plate of food.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"What does it look like?" She saw a hint of the boy she had interviewed when he answered her, arms gesture as if it were obvious. "I'm joining you for dinner. Hope you don't mind or anything."

She shook her head. "No, I don't. But don't you have someone you have to eat dinner with?"

"Nah. My brother'll be fine eating by himself."

"Oh. Okay."

"So how was your day today?" he asked again.

"It was... fine. I guess?"

He didn't have to say it, but she knew he had sat down with her because she was by herself. She had seen it in his eyes when he walked in. A hurt, broken boy that had been far too familiar with her situation, and her heart warmed at the gesture. Even though she'd never admit it, she was grateful for it. Maka smiled as she talked to her food rather than him.

It turned out to be a nicer dinner than she had expected; Soul was actually a nice person to talk to. His humor was a little dry, but Maka still laughed at him occasionally. Their conversation didn't get too deep, though there were moments when she said something and he flinched slightly or stared down at his food while he changed the subject. But Maka still found that it was fun and interesting to talk to him rather than spending another night eating alone in the dead quiet.

When they finished up, Soul followed her to the kitchen, placed his dishes in the sink, and turned to her.

"Um, I guess I'll be going now," he said a little awkwardly. Maka noticed that he raised his hand to rub the back of his neck - something he did often - and she now noted that it was a nervous habit of his.

"Yeah, I don't wanna keep you too long over here. I don't think Papa would like to pay you over-"

"I clocked out before eating with you," he cut in quickly. "That wasn't work just now."

She stared at him and blinked. Maka had assumed he had joined her expecting him to be paid for his services, but realizing he had done so through the kindness of his own heart changed things.

"Oh. Then I don't want your brother to keep waiting for you."

It was her turn to feel awkward, folding her hands behind her back and swaying in place. How was she supposed to bid goodbye to the help during these situations? He wasn't necessarily acting like a butler either; it was more like a friend...

"I had fun?" His voice rose slightly at the end making it a question.

Maka smiled and nodded. "Me too. Thanks for joining me; I really did appreciate it."

And for the first time since Soul started working there, Maka really did mean it. There was no hidden meaning beneath it, no secret plans to thwart him. For the first time, she was genuinely happy to have him as a butler.

"No problem." There was a small pause in which he shifted from foot to foot before saying, "I'll be going now. Bye, Maka."

He walked around to head out of the kitchen and toward the front of the house, but Maka whirled around and blurted out, "I'm sorry for being a little shit these past few weeks," before she lost her courage.

Soul stopped, hand on the door handle, and turned to stare at her - one brow quirked up as if questioning.

"I'm sorry for trying to get you fired. I didn't originally want a butler, but I'm... kinda glad you're here. Maybe I'll stop being rude and we can start over?" Her heart beat against her chest as she pushed the words out, worried he'd take it the wrong way or something, but he saw they were true and smiled.

"Thanks." His grin widened to reveal a set of sharp teeth, and she felt her eyes bulge at the sight. "I'll see you tomorrow, Maka."

"You too. Bye, Soul."

Giving her a small nod, he left the kitchen and Maka turned around to wash the dishes they had dirtied to give him at least one breather the next day. Maybe having Soul as a butler wasn't going to be too bad after all. She was slowly warming up to the idea, after all. It also helped that Soul wasn't too bad of a guy like she had thought in the beginning. At least he had cleaned up his act from the interview because that's exactly what it had been: an act. The real Soul was not a douche at all.

The real Soul was a boy who ate dinner with her, because her stupid Papa was working late again, and she was grateful for that.


	3. New Beginnings

**A/N**: Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I beat y'all thought this fic was dead, but it most definitely is not. I plan on getting this AU back into a good update schedule after almost 2 yrs of being dormant which I apologize for! It's been a rough time for me as far as writing goes, but I'm feeling a lot better with it this year. I'm also excited to be jumping back into this AU because I still very much adore it. A lot.

I hope y'all enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter 3: New Beginnings**

* * *

The issue with wanting to start over with Soul was that it was easier said than done.

He was her butler, hired help under her and her papa, and last she checked, that kind of unequal balance of power didn't make for a healthy friendship. Friendships in modern media where those type of relationships were shown always had a negative connotation surrounding it. Something Maka wasn't a big fan of. She didn't want to feel like he had an obligation to be her friend. If they did indeed want to start over, she wanted to do things correctly. Naturally.

_Normal_.

Nothing dealing with him being her butler.

"Blair, I need some advice," Maka said, sliding into one of the bar stools as the maid wiped down the counter.

Golden eyes glimmered up at her beneath purple bangs, and a smirk stretched across Blair's face that reminded Maka of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. Maka felt unease settle in her gut at the possibilities of what the smirk can mean. After knowing the maid for a good amount of her life, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out.

"Boy troubles?" Blair purred.

_Lucky guess._

"I-it might-It does have to do with a guy, but not in the way-" Maka stammered out before being interrupted.

"Ooooh, I knew this day would come!" Blair squealed. She tossed the rag in her hand over her shoulder and to the sink where it surprisingly landed perfectly over the counter. "My baby Maka is ready to lose her virginity and enter adulthood!"

"Wait, what? Blair, no! That's not-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Maka's face collided with Blair's chest as the maid cradled her head and pretended to sob in her hair.

"I'm so proud of you, kitten! You're going to be going from a girl to a woman. I thought this day would never come!" Blair pulled Maka away from her, smooshing her cheeks, so that she was staring down at Maka. "Do you need me to buy you condoms? Distract your dad so he doesn't walk in on you? Just say the word, and I will be happy to assist you."

"It's neither of those things, Blair," Maka said, attempting to push herself free with little success. "I need advice about _Soul_."

The air around them shifted as Blair pushed Maka out of the hug and studied her.

"What about Soul? You're not still trying to get him fired, are you? I thought we were passed that."

"No, I'm not trying to get him fired," Maka huffed, wiggling out of Blair's grasp. She looked away from the maid, straightening out her bangs as she mumbled, "The other night we kinda agreed to start over as friends, but I don't know how to be friends with him since he's, you know, supposed to be my butler. I was hoping you could give me advice."

"Uh huh." A pause. "Okay, well, first, I'm gonna need you to back track and tell me what happened the other night to bring this about because a few days ago you were hellbent on getting him fired."

Maka chewed on her bottom lip as she tried to gather the words that would make Soul's sentiment from the night before less endearing than it was, but there wasn't anything. He had been kind to her even after putting up with her shitty behavior and her failed attempts to get him fired. When she should have been teased and laughed at for eating alone, he chose to sit down with her. It was more than Maka could ever say for herself. She tended to be passive aggressive and rude to people who were mean to her first. That had been her behavior since birth.

Soul was different, and she was grateful for it. Which was why she needed to tell the truth.

"When Soul was leaving the other night, he saw me eating alone and joined me," Maka admitted. "We talked and got to know each other a little, and before he left, I apologized for being an ass and that's when we agreed to start over as friends."

"Mhm. I warned you about being an ass to him, and now you're regretting doing it," Blair said, crossing her arms beneath her chest and staring down at Maka. "As you should because the poor boy didn't do a damn thing to deserve you meddling with his _job_."

"I know," Maka moaned out. "That's why I'm coming to you for advice. I feel bad for the way I treated him, and I want to make things right. I want to be friends with him, but I don't think I can do that considering he's my butler. I'm technically his boss, and I'd feel weird hanging out with him because it won't be a natural, real friendship. I'll always be his boss. I don't like that."

Silence fell between them. Blair continued to glare at her in that motherly way only she could manage, her golden eyes dark and fierce that made Maka regret every decision in her short lived life. She hated the affect Blair had on her, the connection between them, but at the same time she loved it dearly. The maid was more than just hired help; she was a confidant, someone Maka knew she could lean on for support, and the woman who had raised her.

If anyone had a right to make Maka regret anything, it was definitely her.

"Well, I think you should fire him," Blair said, making her way over to the sink.

"What!? But you were the one who was against me doing that from the beginning!"

"I know. I'm not saying you should permanently fire him, but you should fire him as your own personal butler." Blair paused as she put on a set of purple and yellow gloves. "If you want to be friends with him, it's the first logical step. You can't have a friendship with someone you're the boss of. It's weird and you'll never see them as your equal. They'll always be someone who is beneath you, and I know you, Maka. You won't like having a friendship that's like that."

"I know I won't like it which is why I'm asking you for advice, but you want me to _fire_ him? After you've been against me doing that since the beginning?"

"No, no, no, Maka. You have the wrong idea. What I mean is," she turned to face Maka, "you fire him as _your_ butler and have him work strictly under Spirit. Soul will not take any orders from you whatsoever. All of his tasks will come from either me or your father. That way you can be friends with Soul without it being weird. Does that make sense?"

Maka blinked and mulled over the maid's advice.

It did make sense to fire Soul as her butler. She hadn't wanted a butler in the first place, and if her and Soul were to go forward as friends, it would take the imbalance of power out of their relationship. He won't be beneath her, she won't feel like she owns Soul, and they can go on in their lives being friends. For all intents and purposes, it was the logical decision she could make as well as the most sound advice Blair could give her. Except, it left one problem still in the air.

"I think I get what you're saying now," Maka said. "I fire Soul as my butler, and he works directly under you and Papa instead."

Blair nodded, a small smile gracing her mouth.

"But how would I initiate a friendship with Soul?" Maka asked.

The maid's smile turned to a pout as she said, "Not sure, but you're a smart girl. You'll figure out what you and him can do to be friends." Blair turned back to the sink and continued sorting through dishes. "Isn't the annual summer barbecue this weekend over at Kid's place? Maybe you can invite him to that."

"He doesn't know anyone, though."

"Maka, you're making this more difficult than it has to be." Blair turned back around to face Maka, her hands finding her hips as she did so. "How do you expect him to make friends in a new town like this? By staying at home and doing nothing?"

"Oh. Right."

She slouched in her chair feeling foolish for not realizing the obvious. It didn't matter if Soul knew her friends or not. The only way for him to get to know them better was if she introduced him to them. Sometimes she could be so clueless when it came to things right in front of her.

"I'm glad you finally understand." The maid twirled back around to the sink and flicked the handle. "Now if you'll excuse me I need to clean these dishes before your father comes home."

Sitting at the counter for another minute or two, Maka watched as Blair busied herself with the dishes before sliding off and heading out to the guest house.

"Thank you for the help," Maka said over her shoulder to the maid. Blair only waved a purple glove in her direction in of acceptance.

* * *

Music pounding in his ears, Soul scrubbed away at the stains on Maka's stove thinking of ways to tell her how she can avoid such things. Her stove is meant to be stainless steel - he checked - but somehow she still managed to get specks of food on it when she cooked. Either she was a conniving woman whose only desire was to make his work worse or she was a terrible cool. A part of him expected it to be the latter while another, the part of him who still didn't trust her fully even after their conversation the other night, held onto it being the former.

Either way, he desperately needed to have a conversation with her. Girls weren't meant to be such messy cooks.

He was so into his work and music, he didn't hear nor sense the girl in question enter her home until she tapped him on the shoulder. Soul let out the un-manliest noise as jumped and yanked the earbuds from his ears and stared wide-eyed at his attacker.

"Jesus fuck! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Soul yelled at Maka, trying to shake off the initial shock. His heart pounded so fast in his chest he swore it was about ready to burst out like the alien baby in Aliens. "Nearly gave me a damn heart attack."

"How about you try not to use such fowl language like that in front of someone who's supposed to be your boss," she bit back, green eyes turning into slits.

Soul opened his mouth to comment, but thought better of it.

"Sorry. You scared me, and it slipped out. It won't happen again," he grumbled.

"I would hope not," she said. Her face relaxed, though, as she straightened her back and placed her hands behind her back like some sort of diplomat. "I actually came to talk to you about something. Do you mind sitting down at the table."

He cocked a brow as she waved over to the dining table, but nodded. Stuffing his earbuds and phone into the pockets of his uniform, he made his way over to it and sat down with Maka taking the seat across from her. It threw him off how stock still she sat, her hands folded in front of her, and for a moment he feared he was in trouble. He had only seen one person look at him the way she was currently. His parents - mostly his father - had a habit of sitting the exact way Maka was; her face serious, body posture perfect, and an aura of _business_ vibrating off her.

"Am I in trouble or something?" Soul asked after a minute of silence.

"No. Not exactly. I wanted to talk about the other night and our conversation and ask your opinion about something."

"Okay," he said, still unsure if he should be nervous or not.

"When you said you want to be friends and start over, did you mean it?"

"Uuhh, yeah. Why would I lie?"

"And you said in our interview you're twenty-two, right?" He nodded. "Which would mean you're only three years older than me." She paused and sucked her bottom lip. "And isn't it kinda weird to have a boss who's younger than you?"

"It's fine, I guess?" he said, his voice rising at the end making it a question.

The furrow between Maka's brows deepened like he had said something wrong. "Are you sure? Being bossed around by someone who's younger than you doesn't bother you? Or someone you want to be friends with?"

He blinked once, twice, his own brows knitting together in confusion.

"I think it'd be easier if you flat out told me what you're trying to get at," he told her. "Because I'm kinda lost right now."

Maka's mouth turned into a thin line as she sucked in her lips before sighing. "I'm firing you as my butler."

"You're _firing_ me?" Soul asked more shocked than he intended. "Why?"

"Because unlike you I can't be friends with someone I'm supposed to be the boss of. It's weird, and it isn't a healthy friendship. If you and are going to be friends, I'd prefer you didn't work under me."

"So I'm losing my job?" he asked after a second or two.

"No!" Maka said. "No. You're going to still work here, I'll have to talk to Papa, but you're going to be taking orders from Blair and you'll be working in the main house. You won't be working here anymore."

Leaning back in his chair and relaxing a bit, he mulled over her words. It made sense. Bosses and employees were rarely friends outside of work, and he did want to be friends with Maka. He hated to admit it, but she'd be his first friend in the town where he knew no one save for his brother. That had been part of the reason why he suggested they start over and be friends because, even though Maka was an ass to him his first month of working there, she seemed to be an interesting girl. In the few time she wasn't trying to sabotage him and talked to her friends, she seemed like a cool girl. She was more than the angry girl she had shown him in the beginning, and he wanted to get to know the real her.

Also, he was desperate for at least one friend.

"So long as I'm not losing my job," he grumbled, playing off his need for a friend. "I really need this job."

"Good," she smiled. "Great. That makes things a lot easier."

He nodded. "That means I don't need to finish cleaning, right?"

"Not here. I'll do whatever you didn't get to," she waved off. "I'd prefer to do my own cleaning, to be honest."

"Cool."

"Yep."

Silence fell between them. Soul drummed his fingers on the table unsure of what else to say and feeling more awkward as the seconds ticked by. Maka sat there staring at him completely unphased by the situation. That, or she was prolonging their staring contest to make things more uncomfortable between them. Whichever it was, Soul squirmed in his chair and sighed after a good three minutes had pass. The longest three minutes of his life.

"Was that all you wanted to talk about?"

Maka shifted her gaze away from him at his question and fiddled with her fingers. He recognized those habits because he was usually the one who initiated them when things were difficult. They reminded him of fancy dinner parties and after parties with people he didn't care about or people who dismissed his work as being on par with amateurs. Whatever Maka had left to tell him, it didn't sit well with her.

"There is one more thing that Blair had suggested," she sighed. "I know you don't know my friends, but we're having a barbecue this weekend for the 4th of July and I wanted to invite you. Since you're my friend and all."

The introvert side of himself told him to kindly decline the offer and come up with some sort of excuse for why he couldn't go. Maybe him and Wes were already planning on doing something together since it'll be the first time him and Soul get to do anything for the holiday. As if they've ever celebrated the holiday before, though. Wes had probably already made plans with one of his fuck buddies to do something with them or he was planning on drinking the holiday away or something. Knowing his brother, it was more than likely the former.

But another part of Soul, the part who knew how lonely he was in the new town, wanted to accept her offer.

He listened to the introvert in him, though.

"I'll be working," he said.

"You have the day off. It's a holiday."

Right. Of course he did.

Soul rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Then I guess I can go."

"You don't have to if you don't want to." She paused and her gaze nervously flitted over him again. "I know how weird and out of place it feels to be somewhere new with people you don't know, but I promise you my friends aren't that weird. I think they'll like you, anyways."

"Nah. I wanna go. I don't have any plans so why not," he shrugged.

_It'll be fun_, he reassured himself.

"Good," she said. "Great. Do you wanna meet me here or do you want me to pick you up?"

"Uuuhh," he stalled. He didn't exactly want her to know where he lived; they weren't close friends and his home was reserved to those he knew well. Never mind she probably had his address on his application, but that was only a technicality. "I'll meet you here."

"Alright. Then be here around nine on Saturday since it's a two hour drive and all."

"Cool." He paused and licked his lips, glancing at the decorations on the wall behind. "Guess I'll see you then?"

"Yep," she smiled. "And from now on you'll only work in the main house. You won't have to come here anymore. I'll work it out with Papa when he gets back from wherever he's at."

"Cool," he repeated.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," she said, standing from her chair and offering her hand to him. "Sorry I was a butt to you for most of your time here, but hopefully our friendship won't be so difficult."

"Yeah, me too," he said, taking her hand.

As he left Maka's house, he couldn't remember the last time he had a friendship start out so _diplomatically_, but he had a feeling things were going to be interesting. He was curious to find out how things went for them given how everything started out. So long as she didn't try to sabotage or make his life a living hell, he didn't much care what she did from here on out.

* * *

"I'm bringing a friend to Kid's party on Saturday," Maka revealed in voice chat with Liz and Tsubaki, bracing herself for their reactions.

"What kinda friend?" Liz asked from the confines of her closet. "Wouldn't happen to be a boy, would it?"

Tsubaki's gaze lifted from where she was painting her toes, a minx-like grin spreading across her face. Her dark blue eyes glinted mischievously, and Maka immediately regretted bringing the subject up. Especially with these two who had a reputation of being terrible friends when it came to the subject of boys and teasing Maka about her relationship status. So what if it had been less than a year since she last dated a boy? It wasn't like there was some kind of time crunch for her to find a guy. She was happy being single. When the time comes for her to find romance again, it'll happen. For now, she was content where she was.

"Yes, it's a boy," Maka sighed. She hated the toothy smile Tsubaki gave her. "_But_ it isn't like that. He's new here, and I thought it would be nice to introduce him to some new people."

Liz poked her head out of her closet, her own eyes squinting at Maka, and she had a feeling she knew her friend's current thought process.

"Have you told Kid, yet?" Tsubaki asked. "There's already six of us, and with your new guest, that'll make seven, and you know how he gets about things being even."

She knew. Trust her, she knew.

"Kid is going through therapy to himself with his OCPD so it shouldn't be too bad," Maka said. "This can be like a learning process for him. How to handle seven people at your party instead of eight. It'll be good for him, right?"

"You're not his therapist, though, and-"

"And we all know Kid needs help with his issues so what Maka's doing is okay," Liz cut in. Tsubaki gave her a look that hinted they've had this conversation one too many times before and scowled. "Don't give me that look, Tsu. I tried to help that boy all through high school, but it only got worse. Anyways, Kid's mental health isn't the topic of discussion here. The topic here is that Maka's bringing a _boy_ to Kid's party."

"First, it isn't like that," Maka said, putting a finger up to silence her friend from going any further. "And second, I told you, I invited him because he's new in town, and I thought it would be nice to introduce him to some people."

She conveniently left out that it was Blair who had suggested in the first place along with Soul being the new hired butler. The last thing she needed was for her friends to know about Soul being the butler and them both teasing him about for years on end. Maka knew her friends better than themselves, and she didn't want them scaring Soul away so quickly. It was embarrassing enough she knew he was a butler; she didn't need them to know as well. Especially if she wanted Soul to make friends for his personality, whatever that may be.

Now that she thought about it, she didn't know a lot about Soul. He could be a sociopath.

Still talking to her friends, Maka opened up a web browser to google 'Soul Evans' in case he popped up in any Most Wanted lists.

"Mhm, sure you did. Just admit you like this guy and are bringing him to us so we can scope him out," Liz said.

"She said he's just a friend, and I believe her," Tsubaki gently intervened. "If Maka and this boy do start dating, though, we'll at least know how it all started."

"I had faith in you being the logical one for a minute there,Tsu," Maka mumbled.

She scrolled through the first page of Google results finding close to nothing about Soul Evans. All there were were articles about a musically inclined Evans family who lived west of Connecticut, and she didn't think Soul had anything to do with them. He didn't exactly give off the vibe he had been raised with a golden spoon in his mouth or rich boy material. At least, he wasn't like any of the rich boys she had met in the past through her papa's work events; he wasn't posh or arrogant or stuck up. Soul, in the few times she'd interacted with him, was the complete opposite.

Finding no Most Wanted sites on the second Google search page, she closed out the browser. Everyone knew not to go deeper. If she didn't find what she was searching for on the first couple pages, it was more than likely nonexistent.

"It's not like that," she sighed. Putting emphasis on every word, she added, "He's just a friend. Nothing more, nothing less, and I'm bringing him because he's _new_."

"Black*Star's gonna scare him," Tsubaki stated, worry creasing between her brows. "You know how he gets at the barbecue. Do you really want to bring this boy to meet _him_?"

"Tsu's right," Liz said. "Star can be a bit intimidating when you first meet him, and there's no knowing what'll happen with him."

They were both right, of course. Black*Star was a unique breed of boy who did things with no fear, was loud and boisterous, and had a tendency to drag people into doing things they didn't want to do. Even her, Maka who could handle any type of person no matter the personality type, had almost punched the daylights out of him for being a jackass and trying to wrestle with her. She didn't think Soul was the type of boy who liked being challenged to a jack off every five minutes.

"It won't be that bad, right?" Maka asked.

Tsu and Liz both glanced at the other on their monitors and shrugged.

"Maybe I can ask him to tone it down a bit before you and your friend get to the house," Tsubaki offered. "I'm sure he'll listen to me."

"You're his girlfriend. Why wouldn't be listen to you?" Liz said, a feline grin spreading over her face. "You have tits and an ass. I'm sure you can persuade him to behave with _something_."

A pink blush blossomed over their dark haired friends face as she said, "I can persuade him with my wit, Liz. Not my body."

"Sure," Liz rolled her eyes, sarcasm oozing into the one word.

"It's true," Tsubaki snapped.

Her blue eyes grew dark as she glared at the other girl, and Maka intervened before they argued any further. She didn't need to know about her friends sex life or how they used their bodily assets.

"Thank you, Tsu, for helping me out. I don't want to scare this guy away."

"What's his name, by the way?" Liz asked.

Maka bit her lip and mulled over their past interactions, trying to decide if she had mentioned her butler's name at any point. It wouldn't be good for her friends to find out he was the help she had hired. She wanted them to like him, not treat him differently because of his occupation. After careful combing, she came up with no instances when she had let his name sleep. Thankfully t wasn't a common name so she'd know if she fucked up immediately.

"His name is Soul."

"Did you have a brain aneurism there, or did you forget his name?" Liz questioned, one brow raised.

"Neither."

"Well, it sure did take you long enough." Liz sat back in her chair and folded her arms in front of her as she gouged Maka. "Soul, huh? Interesting name. Parents must've been hippies or something."

"I couldn't confirm or deny that," Maka admitted.

"Guess I'll find out on Saturday."

"He sounds like a nice boy," Tsubaki interjected with a warm smile. "I'm excited to meet him."

"I'm glad," Maka said.

Weirdly enough, she meant it.

"So are either of you taking a bathing suit? 'Cause I don't want to be the only one rocking a bikini," Liz said, changing the subject.

* * *

"Little brother, you're home," Wes called from the kitchen once Soul closed the door behind him. "Dinner'll be ready in about five minutes. I hope you're hungry 'cause I made your favorite. Pizza!"

Soul cocked a brow at his brother as he kicked his shoes off. "You mean you ordered the pizza or you made it yourself?"

"I ordered it. Didn't feel like cooking tonight so I figured we could go for some take out, and what's better than pizza? Everyone loves pizza."

Something about his brother was off. His bright and cheery personality was a natural part of his every day being, but tonight it felt a little too forced. It reminded Soul of when they were kids and Wes had overheard their parents talking about an upcoming concert they had signed Soul up without telling him about it first. Back when he would distract his brother with one thing only to dump the news on him in the middle of it. Sometimes his brother was a little too transparent.

"What are you hiding?" Soul asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Wes replied.

His eyes met Soul's for the briefest of moments before drifting down to his phone and, surprisingly, became more interested in whatever was on there instead. Soul wasn't buying it, though. He made his way from the door into the hallway, gaze turning into slits as he stared at his brother. Wes didn't glance up from his phone, though. All he did was stand there and stare at the screen; he didn't pretend to scroll through something nor did he hold his phone like he were typing out a message.

Maybe it was for the better Soul waited until his brother was ready to drop the bad news on him.

"Whatever," Soul muttered. "I'd rather you drop the news on me when the pizza gets here."

He didn't bother to give Wes a second glance as he made his way down the hall and to his room. Dropping his shoes on the floor, he undid his tie, ready to rid himself or the terrible thing, followed by the suit he wore for work being sure to lay it flat on his bed so he could hang it up before going to bed. Once he was dressed comfortably in sweats and an old baggy shirt, he headed back out to the dining area of the apartment where Wes had laid out some plates and napkins next to the pizza.

"Hope you're hungry," Wes said, a lopsided smile on his face as he served himself. "I ordered enough for us to have leftovers the rest of the week."

"Cool."

Soul stacked three slices of pizza plus one cheesy bread onto his plate and sat down across from his brother. They sat in silence for a good five minutes, each of them absorbed in the cheesy goodness of the food, before Soul spoke first. Wes could stall and hide his time all he wanted, but Soul would rather know his brother's secret now rather than later.

"So what has you acting overly cheery?" Soul asked around his chewing.

"One of these days you're going to learn to appreciate manners and incorporate them into your life, and I hope to still be alive when that happens," Wes said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Not asking how my day went or how I'm feeling isn't really the best way to start a conversation, little brother."

Not taking the bait, Soul said, "Cut the crap, Wes. I know something's up so tell me."

Brown eyes flashed his way before his brother went back to his pizza. For a minute, Soul expected Wes to brush him off again and go off into a tangent leading into what he had to him, but the slight twist of his brother's mouth told him otherwise.

Sighing, Wes said, "Mom called. She wants us to go back for the 4th of July to celebrate with her and Dad."

Suddenly, Soul wasn't too enthused to eat dinner anymore. His stomach flipped and twisted at the mention of their parents and a potential _party_. The last thing he wanted to do was see them - specifically his _dad_ \- after what had happened a few months prior. He didn't think he was ready to walk back into the life he had left behind yet, but when Soul spoke again, he managed to hide the panic and fear swirling in his stomach.

"What's the occasion? Dad trying to impress his high class friends or some bullshit," Soul snorted.

"Something like that. I think Dad is more expecting us to… perform together again. Mom sorta hinted to it when we were on the phone earlier."

"Basically Dad wants to show off his son's performance abilities to save face that we aren't off doing our own thing away from the family?" Soul said a little too bitterly. "Typical," he scoffed.

"I told Mom I'd ask you and get back to her," Wes said, his gazing drifting back to Soul's.

For once, Soul had a decent excuse for avoiding his family.

"I can't go."

A sound that was a cross between a groan and a sigh escaped from Wes as he said, "Soul, I know you hate going to see our parents, but you can't keep ignoring them. You gotta see them-"

"I have plans," Soul interrupted. "Someone invited me to a barbecue at her friend's place this weekend, and I said I'd go."

His brother's brows rose slightly. "You made a friend?"

"Sorta," Soul shrugged. "I met her getting coffee earlier or something."

He didn't know how to tell his brother the friend was his bosses daughter, so he improvised for the time being. It wasn't even entirely clear if him and Maka were going to actually work at being friends or not after the barbecue. How did friendship even work? Hell if he knew.

"Your friend is a girl." Wes's smug grin irritated Soul more than it should. "Impressive. You finally make a friend and all on your own, too! I'm so proud of you, little brother."

"Are your eyes watering up?" Soul growled.

"Duh. It's not every day my brother has the balls to talk to some stranger at a coffee shop. Let me guess she talked to you first or was she the barista? Oh, if it was the barista I might know her." Wes sat back in his chair, finger tapping on his chin. "Is it the brunette girl with the big tits? She's pretty hot. Or is it the other one with the mousy looking hair and the glasses? Not the most ideal future sister-in-law, but it's your taste so I'll accept."

"It's neither of them. She's-It doesn't matter," Soul waved off. "All you need to know is that I'm going out on Saturday which means I can't go see the 'rents. Sorry."

"My only question is how did this all come about exactly? Some girl wouldn't invite you randomly to her friend's barbecue unless she knew you didn't have plans," Wes went on.

Soul saw the wheels turning in his brother's head as he tried to connect the dots, and he was slowly starting to regret not telling his brother the complete truth about Maka. Then again, the truth might have been worse than whatever crackpot idea Wes was trying to concoct.

"You two must have been meeting before this. Not sure if I should be upset you didn't tell me about her or proud of you for keeping her a secret so long." Wes ran a hand through his hair. "Don't really blame you for that. I'd be scared too of someone with my devilish good looks stealing the girl I might possibly have a crush on."

"It's seriously not like that," Soul muttered under his breath. "But whatever."

Wes's face contorted from playful to serious in a matter of seconds as he looked his brother straight in the eyes.

"If you're going to someone's house, you're gonna need a housewarming gift."

"A what?"

"A housewarming gift. It's something people give their friends when going over to their place for the first time or something, and I'd hate for you to make a terrible first impression especially on people who could possibly be your friends."

"Are you sure about that? Maka didn't-"

"Her name is Maka!" Soul winced at his brother's enthusiasm and his fuck up. "That's a really pretty name. Can't wait to meet her."

"Maka didn't mention anything about a housewarming gift," Soul continued, ignoring his brother. "You sure that's what I'm supposed to do?"

"Yeah. Why not? We can go to the store tomorrow and get a plant. Everyone likes plants."

Maka really hadn't mentioned him bringing anything to her friend's place, but his brother was more accustomed to the whole making friends ordeal than he was so he trusted him. Even if that trust is thin and almost nonexistent.

"If you say so," Soul shrugged.

"Guess I'll have to call Mom back and tell her the bad news," Wes said after a second of silence. "She'll be upset you aren't coming, but I think she'll also be glad you're making friends. Finally."

"You keep throwing that at me like it's such a great thing."

"It _is_ a great thing. You've spent the last few months moping around the house and doing jack shit," Wes said. "It's nice to see you finally going out and meeting new people. I know you don't like talking to people, but I think your introvert, little butt is gonna enjoy it in the long run."

Soul didn't respond as he went back to eating his pizza. Secretly, he did hope things went well between him and Maka and her friends because as much as he hated meeting new people, he was starting to get lonely after being in a new place for so long. He didn't know anyone there other than his brother. Getting to know people and letting them in weren't exactly his favorite past times and he highly doubted anyone he met on Saturday would ever truly know him, it would be nice to have someone to talk to and hang out with on weekends.

If only to fulfill his need for conversation and companionship.

* * *

The first thing Soul noticed when he drove up to Maka's house was the mysterious absence of Spirit's beat up Volkswagen. It wasn't a surprising sight to see considering the man was rarely ever home other than a couple hours when Soul worked, but he thought maybe he'd be there on the weekend to at least spend time with his daughter. Then again, he couldn't even be bothered to come home after work during the week to have dinner with her so he guessed the behavior was common. Maka didn't even bother to acknowledge the empty space in her driveway as she came out to join him save for the glare she threw its way.

"Hey," she smiled, the glare disappearing as she looked at him. "You ready to go?"

"Uh, yeah."

He felt a little overdressed in his pants and the nicest shirt he could find in his closet that wasn't a button down while Maka wore shorts and a floral halter top. Maybe asking if there was a dress code should have been something he thought about beforehand. For all he knew her friends were the typical summer college kids who got drunk on the beach and had orgies. Though, he hoped - wished - that wasn't the case because he wasn't much of a drinker and sex wasn't on his holiday to do list.

"What's with the plant?" she asked.

Soul glanced down at the purple bonsai tree he held. "Um, it's a housewarming gift for your friend."

Heat slowly blossomed over his cheeks when her face scrunched up in confusion, brows knitting together and mouth turning up on one side. He was starting to regret bringing the plant his brother had bought. Maybe Wes was wrong and this wasn't something people his age did.

"It's cute, but I don't think it fits Kid's taste exactly," Maka told him. She walked toward him and held her hands out palm up. "Here, you can give it to me, and I'll take care of it."

"Alright," Soul said, relenting the plant over to her.

She took the plant over to the front door of the house and set it down.

"I'll put it in the guest house when I get back," she said with a small smile.

Whether she was doing so to save him the embarrassment or just being kind, he didn't care. It was clear to him the plant would have been awkward to bring to the barbecue, and he'd rather Maka be the only person to know about it than her and the rest of her friends.

Following her to her care, Soul slid into the passenger side and buckled in while Maka did the same and started the car. He winced at the sound of some Top 40 station blaring through her speakers and tried to suppress the groan bubbling up his throat, but failed miserably. The glare Maka gave him was enough to make him regret it.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"It's nothing." She cocked her head to the side like she didn't believe. He sighed and confessed the truth. "Pop music is kinda shitty, don't you think?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but decided better of it and sniffed. "I happen to like pop music, thank you very much."

"Really? You tone deaf or something?"

Her bright green eyes were sharp as they flashed his way, but the growl that emitted from her throat was anything except kind. "Watch it, Soul. I may change my mind about being friends and kick you out of my car while we're on the highway."

"I take it that means you'll be playing this the entire two hours?"

"You bet your ass I am," she said. "And if you don't like it then you can get out and walk home at any point. See if I care."

Soul waved his hands in front of him defensively. "As much as I hate pop music, I'd rather suffer through it for two hours than the alternative plans I had for today."

The alternative plans being joining Wes at their parents house.

Maka seemed to want to ask what exactly those plans were, but before she did so, she rolled out of her driveway and down the street leading to the exit of the subdivision she lived at. They rode in silence save for the tunes of Taylor Swift and Beyonce playing softly in the background until they hit the highway. She was the one to break their silence by tossing an aux cord his way. Her mouth was turned in a straight line, but her gaze was soft as she glanced at him.

"I've heard you sigh under your breath for about thirty minutes now," she said in response to his quirked brows. "If you wanna play your own music for a while, you can. I'd rather you be happy than brooding in the corner like that."

"Ah, thanks," he said, fishing his phone out of his pockets.

He wasn't entirely enthusiastic over sharing his taste in music with someone he barely knew, but he hadn't met anyone who didn't enjoy listening to alternative rock. It was definitely better than the pop music. Later on when he knew Maka well enough he could introduce her to the cool sounds of Miles Davis and other jazz musicians. Best not to dump good music on her so quickly, he supposed.

"Do you always do that?" she asked after a minute.

"Do what?"

"Brood in silence."

Snorting, he said, "You sound like my brother."

"You have a brother?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"That must be interesting."

She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, sucking on her bottom lip before asking him another twenty questions which he surprisingly didn't feel were an invasion of his privacy. He didn't tell her much about his family or home life. Conveniently, he left out the part where he confessed his entire childhood experience to her which was only for friends who had reached level 100 which had only been a total of none, and he doubted Maka would ever be one of them. But the conversation between them was easy and nice. Maka didn't bombard him with overly personal questions or push and prod him when he gave half-assed answers.

It was refreshing.


End file.
